Esker Hills golf club Offaly

Esker Hills Golf Course

GoGolfing.ie would like to congratulate Shane on his magnificent performance at the US Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pennsylvania from 13th to 19th June 2016In a weather disrupted Championship Shane brought a 4-shot lead into the last 18-holes having shot 2-under on the Sunday morning final 4-holes of his 3rd Round (I had a few euro on him and expected to collect, that golf) however he finished tied 2nd behind Justin Johnson and collected a cheque for $745,270 and I will be having a few euro on him again. Esker Hills Golf Club is the home club of another up-and-coming Irish Golfer, Shane Lowry, who won the Irish Open Championship as an Amateur at Co. Louth/Baltray on 16th May 2009. Shane the son of Brendan who won an All-Ireland Football Final, with his two brothers in the process denying Kerry of the 5-in-a-row in 1982.More than 10,000 years ago the retreating glaciers of the Ice Age created the stunning landscape of plateaux, sweeping valleys, natural lakes and free draining soil on which Esker Hills is built. Add the genius of Christy O’Connor Jnr and you have a golfing gem in a unique setting with 18-holes of challenging championship golf where no two holes are remotely alike. Noted for its distinct links feel, superb sand-based greens and warm welcome, Esker Hills is the ultimate golfing test and one that you will certainly remember.

"Designing Esker Hills gave me enormous satisfaction, plotting the course through nature’s own sand-hills and valleys. Esker Hills is the only inland links type course I know of, which makes golf a pleasure all year round".

Notable rounds

Members Achievements

On Sunday 16th May 2009, Shane Lowry defied the odds when competing in his first Professional Tournament won The 3 Irish Open Championship at Baltray, Co. Louth Golf Club. In very difficult conditions he returned a score of-17 to tie the Championship with Robert Rock of England. He carded a score of 62 on the Friday, the course record stood at 64, before the 3 Irish Open was staged.

The Irish Open has had more play-offs than any on the European Tour and 2009 was no different, Shane and Rock went back down the par-5 18th playing as the 2nd most difficult on the day, the 1st play off hole was halved in par, the 74th was halved in birdie and the climax on the 3rd play-off say Shane have a tap-in to clinch the Championship, with a first prize of €500,000. As one of only two Amateurs in the field, which included Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Daren Clarke, Rory McElroy, John Daly and many other household names, the young man from Clara joined an elite band of first-time winners and became the second Irish Armature Golfer ever to win a Professional event, David Sheehan of Grange having done it at The Royal Dublin many years ago.

Shane is the son of All-Ireland Offaly footballer Brendan, who together with his two brothers was on the famous team that denied Kerry of the 5-in-a-row in 1982. Ironically Shane joins another band of unique Irish Golfers, whose fathers played football for their counties and became winners on the European Tour, Padraig Harrington’s late father Paddy played for his native Cork and Paul McGinley’s father Mick played for Donegal, and for good measure Noel Fox’s father, played for Dublin.

However Shane’s achievement of taking his own Open Championship as an Amateur in front of a huge partisan gallery is almost unbelievable, but somebody besides himself did believe it as he had a €300 bet at 1,000 to 1 on Shane.

Shane was runner-up to David Crosby of Royal Lytham in the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Rosses Point on Tuesday 14 April 2009, when beaten on the 19th just failing to repeat Rory McIlroy’s double in 2006, 2005 and Nial Goulding in 1991 and 1990.

Shane Lowry won the North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in 2008, having won the West of Ireland at Rosses Point Golf Club the previous Easter.

GoGolfing congratulate Shane Lowry , who together with Paul Cutler (Portstewart Golf Club), Gareth Shaw (Lurgan Golf Club), Niall Kearney (The Royal Dublin Golf Club), Jonathan Caldwell (Clandeboye Golf Club) retained the European Amateur Team Championship at Turin Heat on Saturday 5th July 2008, when they beat England in the final by 4 ½ matches to 2 ½.

GoGolfing would like to congratulate Shane Lowry on being part of the victorious Irish Team that won the European Amateur Championship at Western Gailes on the Ayrshire Cost, on Saturday 7th July 2007, when they overcame a strong French team by 4 ½ matches to 2 ½ matches. Ireland had not won this Championship since 1987, the other members of the team were Rory McIlroy (Hollywood Golf Club), Jonathan Caldwell (Clandeboye Golf Club), Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge Golf Club), Simon Ward (Co. Louth), well done lads and we will continue to follow your progress in the years to come.

Having won his first Amateur Major in the AIB Irish Amateur Close Championship at Cork Golf Club in 2007 when he record a 4 and 3 win over Niall Turner of Muskerry Golf Club, Shane Lowry begun the 2008 season in some style. He won the Radisson SAS Sligo West of Ireland Amateur Championship at Co. Sligo Golf Club when he beat Des Morgan of Mullingar Golf Club by 2 and 1on Wednesday 26th March.

He and his fellow Irish team-mates then travelled to Royal Sotogrande in Spain to compete in the European Cup of Nations where he followed up Rory McIlroy’s achievement in 2007, to clinch the individual title when he beat the European Champion Benjamin Hebert at the fifth play-off hole.

Shane Lowry won the Connacht Youths' Open Championship at Ballinasloe Golf Club 31st August 2006, he returned rounds of 73 and 68 to beat T. Walsh of Claremorris Golf Club by a single shot.

Shane Lowry was selected to represent Ireland at the Boys' Home Internationals played at Woodhall Spa, Lioncolnshire from 2nd to 4th August 2005.

Members who played representative golf for Country or Province;

Shane Lowry represented Ireland as a Senior International from 2006 to 2008 playing 29-times won 18-matches halved one and lost 10-matches accumulating 37-points. He represented Ireland at international Youths level in 2006 playing 4-matches, won 3-match halved one accumulating 7-points. He represented Ireland at Irish Boys level in 2005 playing 9-times won 4-matches halved two and lost 3-matches accumulating 10-points. He represented Leinster at Senior Interprovincial level from 2006 to 2008 playing 18-times won 10-matches halved two and lost 6-matches accumulating 22-points. He represented Leinster as a Youth Interprovincial from 2006 to 2007 playing 12-times won 5-matches halved one and lost 6-matches accumulating 11-points. He represented Leinster at Boys' Interprovincial level from 2004 to 2005 playing 11-times won 8-matches halved one and lost 2-matches accumulating 17-points;

History of Esker Hills

More than 10,000 years ago the unique landscape of Offaly was powerfully sculpted by the awesome natural forces of the dying Ice Age. As the great glaciers retreated, they left in their wake narrow ridges of sand and gravel which were deposited by the streams of water that had once flowed in tunnels beneath the melting ice. These ridges now comprise the magical Esker Riada, from which the course gets its name.Research has shown that a nine hole golf course existed for a number of years adjacent to the present 16th tee. The revival of golf in this ideal natural location was the brainchild of the Molloy and O'Brien families. Christy O' Connor Jnr commenced his work in 1994 and working with Tom Byan as main contractor, he has with minimum soil disturbance plotted a marvellous course through natures own sandhills and sweeping valleys.Excellent, natural drainage is one of the more obvious advantages the terrain offers golf-course construction. Then there are the dramatic undulations of valleys and plateaux which, along with natural lakes and woodlands, provide splendid design features.

Tennis players don't have to play pro-ams. Can you imagine what John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl would say if they were asked to play a quick five sets with a few of the guys from the local club the day before Wimbledon?